New York drug crisis: Huge surge in children getting sick from cannabis-laced sweets
Cannabis lollys
PA
Cases of children getting accidentally high and in some cases sick are surging in New York after they unknowingly ingested cannabis-laced sweets.
Stony Brook University Hospital on Long Island has reported the number of children coming in with prolonged or serious toxic exposure tripled over the pandemic.
Several children were admitted to the hospital after adults left marijuana-laced edibles, such as gummies, lying around for children to eat.
According to the hospital, cases rose from just 5 in 2020 to 14 in 2021 and then 13 cases last year.
Examples of Cannabis gummies
Reuters
“Kids are excited to get candy,” Dr Candice Foy, a pediatrician at SUNY Stony Brook Children’s hospital, said.
“We had a grandma who passed a cannabis edible to a child by mistake.”
The surge in cases comes after the state expanded its legislation of marijuana for adult use in 2021.
It also comes after a huge surge in emerging smoke shops.
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Cannabis shop
Reuters
Children who ingest the sweets can experience severe symptoms including fainting or sudden sleepiness, slurred speech, difficulty walking or lack of coordination, lethargy, dry mouth, dilated pupils, red eye, rapid heartbeat and vomiting.
According to the hospital’s data, cases have involved toddlers as young as 1 year old.
Dr Annamarie Fernandes, Dr Foy and medical student Cassie Wang noted it does not take much cannabis to make a small child feel sick.
They warned that they may ingest the THC-infused sweets unknowingly after mistaking them for regular candy.
From the recorded cases, children found the sweets in purses, cabinets and even in a fridge.
Describing one case, Dr Foy said: “A kid looking for an ice pop found cannabis in the freezer.”
She added that most cases derived from cannabis gummies but a few came from marijuana-laced brownies and one from a THC-infused chocolate bar.
“A lot of times it’s a mistake made by a good parent,” Dr Foy said.
She said the packaging has become more child-proof but added, “Cannabis edibles are something that should be under lock and key.
“Edibles shouldn’t be in the kitchen.”